


Sweep All The Ashes Away

by Go0se



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: (It's okay he gets better), Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apocalypse? More Like Nothing, Blood and Injury, Declarations Of Love, Elias Bouchard Is A Bastard Man Who Nobody Likes, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, TMA Episode 160: The Eye Opens, Tea, Transcribed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24171556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Go0se/pseuds/Go0se
Summary: Martin goes back to the cottage five minutes later.It's such a stupid, simple, human thing to avert the work of centuries: it starts to rain, and he doesn't have an umbrella, so Martin Blackwood goes back.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 12
Kudos: 145





	Sweep All The Ashes Away

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings include descriptions of: -Jon's avatar-inflicted injuries, mild body horror therein  
> -Screaming  
> -Canon typical existential woes  
> -Martin's experience as vessel for the Lonely for like a year.
> 
> I have been wrangling this into working order for a while! Posting this a couple days after 171 aired, which feels kind of.... rude, almost? But it does technically counts as fluff. Technically.  
> Also, I'm done picking at it, therefore it is y'all's now. Make of it what you will~
> 
> Title is from "Going Invisible 2", by The Mountain Goats (which, relatedly, is very much a Season 4 Martin song).

[Tape continues.

Int. Daisy Tonner’s safehouse cottage in Scotland. Thunder rumbles in the background; and a fire crackles and snaps. Jon’s intonation rolls like an earthquake, Jonah Magnus’ words sticking to him like smoke in lungs.]

ARCHIVST (Continuing STATEMENT)  
_It. Took. Years, for the dread of the prisoners to fully suffuse the place, and I was an old man before I made my first attempt at the Watcher’s Crown, sat in the center of that colossal eye, the great ring of cells encircling me like a coronet._

[In the background, there are a couple faint crunches. Then a rattle of a door.

It becomes clear that it wasn’t the fiireplace crackling, but someone on the path outside. The cottage door squeaks open in a non-menacing way.]

ARCHIVIST  
_It was... flawed, of course, as all Smirke’s rituals were, and none of the inmates survived--_

MARTIN  
(Overlapping, bright) Back! Just me, sorry about this, don’t mean to interrupt, um-- it started raining-- in Scotland, right, imagine that--

  
ARCHIVIST  
(Overlapping, unmoved) _\--_ _as the power I attempted to harness shook the building almost to pieces--_

  
MARTIN  
\--know I have an umbrella somewhere, I’ll be out of your hair in...

[Martin pauses.]

  
ARCHIVIST  
_\-- and the murky swamp upon which the prison was built consumed it._

  
MARTIN  
(Wary now) Jon?

ARCHIVIST  
(Continuing, strained, near-manic) _But it left me a gift: For sat in that watchtower, I could see everything I turned my mind to._

MARTIN  
Jon, what is--

ARCHIVIST  
_It was a dizzying power, and one I discovered--_

[A thud. Martin’s voice is louder, as he’s now crossed into the living room.]

MARTIN  
(Now properly worried) _Jon?_

ARCHIVIST  
_I maintained even as I found vessels to extend my life. Of course, I had--_

MARTIN  
What’ve you-- (Unsteady sharp breath) Jon, give me that.

ARCHIVIST  
(Overlapping, unable to stop) _\-- to make sure the location was kept under my control--_

MARTIN  
For God’s sake--

ARCHIVIST  
_\-- while I worked on revising my plans, and so I moved the organization I had founded to assist in my research down to London--_

MARTIN  
(Now right next to the tape recorder) _Jon!_

ARCHIVIST  
_\-- and the Institute--_

[Static screams into the speaker.

Underneath it, a scuffle breaks out.  
For a few long moments there’s nothing but a confusion of noise. The thunder from earlier is overhead, adding chaos to everything; several thuds sound, and a wrench of paper, as if it’s been physically torn free from hands too rigid to release it. Several uncomfortable scrapes of chair legs across wood, and hurried footsteps.]

MARTIN  
(Panicked) Where’s-- where’s the _fucking_ lighter, I know you brought it-- there must’ve-- (Despairing) Oh don’t tell me this is _stuck--_

[As Martin’s ranting, a squeal and rustle of metal sounds; he’s pushed aside the spark curtain in front of the fireplace.

Overlapping: the Archivist gasps, as if in deep pain, and then seems to be struggling to speak. He gets out several half-formed, unintelligble sounds, then:]

ARCHIVIST  
I-- _I--_

MARTIN  
(Overlapping, not having noticed) Oh Christ, finally _._

[A wrench of metal, and then the crackle of the fire gets much louder. _Much_ louder. More than should’ve been possible from the measly few slips of paper that had been in the statement packet.

For a moment, the roar even overtakes the thunder.]

MARTIN  
(Yelps) S _hit!_

[In the background, the Archivist’s breathing gets noticeably shallower, more panicked.

After a moment, the fire’s fury fades. Martin exhales shakily several times, like he’s struggling to get himself under control.  
On the last inhale, his breath catches.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Weaker, more far away) I...

[There’s a fabric slide and then a thud, as if he's fallen to the floor.   
A footstep follows, as though Martin’s stood up.]

MARTIN  
J-- Jon! Are you--?

[Unfortunately, before Martin can finish his question, the Archivist starts screaming.

It’s a horrible sound. Full of pain, undoubtably, but also full of fear: the fear of knowing _exactly_ what’s coming to you. Around and through and along with Jon’s screams, the static crackle spikes.

Martin’s worried yell joins Jon’s voice and the static hits a nauseating fever pitch.

Tape cuts out.]

*

[Tape clicks on.  
The thunder rolls forwards like the ocean. Rain is pouring outside, audible on the roof and glass of the windows. Martin’s voice is far away, panicked. Jon has, at least, stopped screaming.]

MARTIN  
Jon-- _Jon!_

ARCHIVIST  
(Weakly, with a horrible sort of gurgling) ‘s okay, Martin, I--

MARTIN  
No! No it’s _not okay,_ you’re--

[A clunk and creak of the floor, as though Martin has just fallen to his knees.]

MARTIN  
(Worried, near tears) Oh god, your hand-- your _throat-_ -

ARCHIVIST  
It’s... it’s all of them.

MARTIN  
(Horror) _What?_

[Jon coughs wetly, breathing uneven. From the half-dreaming tone his voice takes, it sounds like he’s starting to go into shock.]

ARCHIVIST  
It’s-- it’s all of them. All the _marks,_ the wounds that the others-- the other avatars gave me. Jude Perry and, and Melanie, and Jane, and Micheal-- I can-- I can feel where Jarrod pulled out my ribs. Like they’re-- (Laughs thinly, half-wheeze) Gregory Pryor was right, it’s like they’re twisting inside someone else.

MARTIN  
(Definitely crying) I-- it-- it-- it’s okay, we’ll, just-- hold on, I’ll get something to-- to stop the bleeding, um--

[As Martin tries to narrate himself out of a panic attack, Jon continues laughing weakly. In the middle of Martin saying ‘bleeding’ he suddenly stops cold.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Overlapping with Martin, though awed and distant) Oh, god. Elias is _furious._

MARTIN  
\-- what?! (Distracted) Is he, is he going to try and find us-- (Switching tacts quickly, agitated, like he’s talking himself into something) No, we’re _not_ going to focus on that right now-- you need help, you’re... Jon?

[As Martin’s talking, Jon starts wheezing faintly. The sound could be either more laughter or crying.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Voice thick, scratchy) I don’t-- I don’t know what’s going to happen now.

MARTIN  
It’s-- it’s okay, I’m sure Daisy has some bandages somewhere, I--

ARCHIVIST  
(Abruptly more lucid) Wait!

MARTIN  
\-- Jon?

ARCHIVIST  
(Overlapping) Martin. Martin, please don’t _go,_ I-- I--

MARTIN  
(Interrupting back, frantic) Okay! Okay, I’m here, don’t w-- (Voice breaking a little) I’m here, Jon.

[A few long moments pass. The only breaks are the fire crackling and the Archivist’s gurgly breaths. Nothing but silence.

As it wears on, his gurgles slowly taper off. His breaths clear.

Eventually:]

ARCHIVIST  
I... I think...

MARTIN  
(Immediately) What is it?

[John coughs again. Very slightly less miserably this time.]

ARCHIVIST  
I... I think I’m healing. It-- it might... be fine?

[A pause.]

MARTIN  
(Inhaling deeply, like he’s made a decision) Can you stand up?

ARCHIVIST  
I don’t know.

MARTIN  
Okay. That’s-- okay. Here. (Narrating) Just keep your arm around me, I’ll...

[The floor creaks again, as Jon makes an _‘oof’_ of pain.]

MARTIN  
(Encouragingly) There, on our feet. Come on, let’s get you to the bathroom, we can--

[Tape clicks off.]

*

[Tape clicks on. Soft rummaging and clinking in the background. Martin’s voice nears as he talks.]

MARTIN  
It’s not _tea,_ but, um, I think this should still help your throat?  
(As though he’s walking into the room) I bought some sugar and honey a bit ago, but, you’ve never asked for it before, so...

[A clink of mugs being set down on a table.]

ARCHIVIST  
Thank you.

[He sounds still scratchy, but much more back to normal, now.

Another moment of quiet, though this one is noticeably less fraught. It starts to get a little awkward.]

MARTIN  
(Trying for levity) Going to, um. Going to have to throw out the jumper, tomorrow, probably.

ARCHIVIST  
Oh, I-- yes. I’m sorry about that, Martin, I--

MARTIN  
No, no, you don’t need to be! It’s no worry, I’ve had that for years. The moths and-- and things had gotten to it already anyway.

[This, unfortunately, does not seem to help. Jon takes an unsteady breath.]

ARCHIVIST  
You must have liked it very much to keep it that long, though. I--

MARTIN

(Gently) Jon. It’s okay.  
I’m not lying about it to make you feel better, or to-- minimize my own problems, or whatever. It’s just a jumper. I honestly don’t mind losing it. And even if it was my favourite or something, I was worried about _you._ And I’m glad you’re... well, not-- not _okay_ , but, you’re not-- bleeding everywhere or, or intoning ominously anymore. That’s all I care about.

[Another pause.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Softer) Thank you.

MARTIN  
(Matching his tone) Of course.  
So, how’re you feeling, now?

[Jon laughs dryly.]

ARCHIVIST  
Um. Not great. Aching from... everywhere, all the marks and all. It’s, ah. It’s a bit like a hangover.

MARTIN  
(Worried) Oh.

ARCHIVIST  
Yeah.  
(Beat)  
(Weary) You can ask, Martin. It’s okay.

MARTIN  
Well, what-- (More freaked out, bursting:) Jon, what the _hell_ was that?!

ARCHIVIST  
A statement. In a manner of speaking.

MARTIN  
It can’t have only been that! I’ve never seen-- (With realization, worry) Have statements ever done anything like-- like _that_ to you, before?!

ARCHIVIST  
No. No, nothing... remotely like that.

MARTIN  
( _?!!_ ) It—

[Martin audibly takes a deep breath, trying to get himself under control. When he speaks next, he at least _sounds_ calmer.]

MARTIN  
It sounded-- it seemed like you were talking like Elias. From his point of view.

[Jon laughs thinly again. It is not an amused or joyful sound.]

ARCHIVIST

Yes. Yes, I believe I was.  
He, um. He had some sort of _plan,_ Martin. Something involving me-- or, the Archivist. Whatever the statement was, I didn’t get to the-- the part where he explained, exactly, before, um. Before you came back. But it was all leading up to something. Not just his statement but-- _all_ of it. These last few years, and, probably before that too. He’s been planning something for-- a _long_ time.

MARTIN  
Something-- you mean a ritual? For the Eye?

ARCHIVIST  
I believe so. (Beat)  
(Faster, more worried) Martin, I meant what I said before, about Eli-- _Magnus._ He’s. It’s horrible.

MARTIN  
C-- can you still feel that?

[A pause, like Jon’s considering. There is a complete lack of telltale static. Jon breathes out slowly.]

ARCHIVIST  
No, not exactly. But it wasn’t something that... I could be mistaken about. I-- I really don’t know what’s going to happen, Martin.

MARTIN  
Okay. (Taking a breath) Okay.  
Well, we... we’re not going to worry about him right now. Unless the Eye gives him-- _super_ _-_ _speed_ or something he won’t have much luck getting here for at least a day, so. And whatever great-- _evil scheme_ he was planning, nothing-- nothing _did_ happen. We’ll figure something out.

[A pause. Jon gives another small laugh, under his breath.]

MARTIN  
... what?

ARCHIVIST  
(Audibly smiling, in a very small way) No, nothing. Um. You're right. I suppose we have so far.

MARTIN  
(Fiercely) _Right._

[A moment of quiet. Martin steels himself.]

MARTIN  
Jon, I’m sorry for asking, but is... is the Eye going to try-- to try and kill you, now? Since you’ve foiled Elias’-- or, Magnus, or whoever the hell he is-- since you’ve foiled his grand plan?

[The Archivist pauses for a worryingly long time. Static crackles, swells, then fades.]

ARCHIVIST  
... no. No, it won’t.  
(Wheezy, bitter laugh.) I think it doesn’t want to let me go that easily. But, but that’s not the whole reason. I’m too _valuable._ Eli-- Magnus, he’s, he _is_ another Avatar, he’s had his hold on the Insitute for-- god, two centuries, now, so of course he’s powerful there, and just in _society_ as well, all the money and let alone all his mundane networks and blackmailing. And he can use the Eye’s powers to-- (Falters) um.

MARTIN  
(Neutrally) To make people suffer for it.

ARCHIVIST  
(Softly) Right. Yeah.  
(Picking up the thread) But whatever else Magnus is, he’s not an Archivist. And (Dawning realization, understanding as he says it) there’s always been Archivists, as long as the Eye has had a hold on. Anything. On the world. We’re... we’re not irreplacable, obviously, but we’re not random either. And we can become powerful tools for it. (Shakes himself out of it) Um. This isn’t the first failed ritual its survived through.

(A beat. Palpable disgust in his voice, John continues:) The Watcher still wants me around to help _feed_ it.

MARTIN  
Okay. Well, that’s... that’s something.

ARCHIVIST  
Right.  
... you know what-- what the worst thing is? I’m still curious what exactly the hell Elias was talking about. (Laughs, again, not humourously.)  
What he-- what he _wanted_ in all of this. He’d talked about his dramatic upbringing, coming into the-- cult, or whatever, but not what his goal was with all this. Scheming. With me.

MARTIN  
I-- I’m sorry I burnt it--

ARCHIVIST  
(Hurriedly) No, no, you’re right! That was-- that was the absolute right thing to do. I don’t think I _could_ have stopped, otherwise.  
It’s just-- it’s there. And I don’t mean.. (Sigh) I don’t mean like, I’m afraid of not knowing. I mean, I _am_ afraid, but it’s not the same as when I’m being pushed to be. If that makes any sense.

MARTIN  
(Softly) Yeah.  
(Normal tone) I think it does. When, um. When I was still with P-- with the Lonely, there were all these times when I had to ask myself whether or not I _really_ cared about anything at all. Or if it just felt like I should care.

ARCHIVIST  
(Concerned) Martin...

MARTIN  
I _did,_ though. I do, still. I care.  
(Beat)  
It was the opposite, really. It felt like I _shouldn’t_ , that it was so much harder to care, and-- and why should I bother. I know, I _know_ a lot of that _was_ the-fear itself, just pressing down all around me. But it was me, too, in a way. It’s-- there wasn’t any helping it, sometimes. So many people, just... gone. So quickly. It felt easier to let go of everyone.

ARCHIVIST  
(With a note of pain now) Martin, I...

MARTIN  
(Quietly to himself finishing this thought) I guess that was part of why it picked me.  
(To Jon, still softly) I just mean, I... I know it’s not the same, but, um. I understand.

[Quiet. Outside, the rain has downgraded to soft, consistent patter. Their mugs clatter a bit, every so often, on the table.]

MARTIN  
(Trying to make at least a bit of conversation to cover up the existential terror) I'm, um. I’m glad that Daisy had a generator for this place, at least. And the well out there. It’d’ve taken ages to heat this up otherwise. (A small sigh) It’s, uh. It’s the little things, you know.

[Slight tea mug clinking as Martin takes a drink.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Quietly) I love you, Martin.

[Martin chokes.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Alarmed) Oh good _lord_ , don’t--

MARTIN  
(Coughing, flustered) Sorry, I-- (Breathes in exaggeratedly deeply, recovering) I’m, um. What?

ARCHIVIST  
W-- well, it’s just, I... I realized I hadn’t said it. Yet? (Laughs, a bit shakily) And I should, I mean, on the beach, when I Showed you-- but I still should make it clear. Aloud.

MARTIN  
(Dazed) Oh.  
(Getting more of a hold on himself) I, um. You too? I mean, I... I love you, too, Jon.

[A pause.]

ARCHIVIST  
Well. That’s-- um, that's good. It’d-- (Trying for a joke) It’d be awkward if we’d gotten all the way here and you _didn’t_ , right?  
(Beat. Suddenly horrified) Not that I wouldn’t have-- Martin, I-- it doesn’t matter if you didn’t feel the same way for me, I still would have found you, I swear--

MARTIN  
(Overlapping) I know, I believe you-- it’s okay! It’s okay.

[Jon stops talking, then sighs bemusedly.]

ARCHIVIST  
It’s always something with me, isn’t it.

MARTIN  
(Deeply in love) Happens to all of us.

[There’s yet another clink of a mug being set down, and then shuffling.]

ARCHIVIST  
(Oblivious, but laughing a little) I _really_ don’t think it does, actually, in this case. ... Martin?

MARTIN  
... hey.

ARCHIVIST  
(Warm) Hi.

MARTIN  
Um. May I?

ARCHIVIST  
Hm--?

(A beat of silence.  
Jon gets it.)

ARCHIVIST  
Oh! (Pleased, a bit nervous) I... yes. Of course.

[Another shuffle, and a muffled realization-type sound from said Archivist, which lapses into silence. Some fabric rustles, as though they’re embracing each other. It is strongly implied that they are kissing.

The tape runs quietly for a few moments.

We hear both of them breathing at the same time. Martin laughs a bit.]

MARTIN  
(Lightly, some would say giddily) Well.

ARCHIVIST  
(Still pleased) Yes. Right.

[A moment passes in comfortable silence.]

MARTIN  
(Confessing) I... I really don’t know what’s going to happen now, either, Jon. There’s, if-- if there’s some kind of ritual involving _you,_ and no one knows where Elias is, then that’s. That’s dangerous. I don’t like the idea of him just-- out there, somewhere, _plotting_. And we’ll have to check the statements from now on. We... we’ll need to _do_ something about this.

ARCHIVIST  
... yes. I-- I agree.

MARTIN  
Okay. (He exhales deeply) Okay.  
(Beat) You seem oddly calm about this all of a sudden?

ARCHIVIST  
Well.

[Jon sounds... not smug exactly, but exactly as Martin said, calm and contented. Muffled fabric rustles, as if Jon’s pulled Martin closer.]

ARCHIVIST  
I’m... not _not_ worried, obviously. But you're right, I’m not panicking either.

MARTIN  
Enlighten me?

  
ARCHIVIST  
I only mean, we have an idea of what’s coming, at least. And like you said, it’ll take a while for Elias or whoever-- or _whatever,_ I suppose, if anything or anybody-- he wants to send after us to get here. I have an... at least reasonable guess as to what’s happening. The tape recorders will give us warning.

[Martin makes a brief disgruntled sound, which Jon doesn’t seem to notice.]

ARCHIVIST  
But it’s safe enough here for now. There’s Basira on the phone when we want to reach out for intel. And-- and I have you.

MARTIN  
(Correcting, softly) We have each other.

ARCHIVIST  
Yes. So you understand my confidence.

[Martin gives a short huff of a laugh.]

MARTIN  
I mean, I _suppose._

  
ARCHIVIST  
Exactly.  
(Fond echo) We’ll figure it out.

[Tape clicks off.]

-

**Author's Note:**

> Recording ends.  
> Now they just gotta ~~murder~~ permanently-incapacitate themselves a lawful evil two century-year-old spy warlock! Seems fine
> 
> Fun fact, the first drafts had the line as “It is strongly implied that they are kissing, _Alex J. Newall_ ”, but I decided to cut it out because even though smooching sounds don't bother me personally, I don’t actually blame the man for not wanting to spend a considerable amount of time editing them up-close. ~~(Even though it makes him a coward~~ No, I’m legit joking)
> 
> Many thanks to everyone who manages the TMA wiki ([here's a link to it](https://the-magnus-archives.fandom.com/)), and everyone who writes/maintains the unofficial transcripts ([here's link to the archive](https://snarp.github.io/magnus_archives_transcripts/)), which are invaluable all of the time and were particularly helpful here when I blatantly copy-pasted the one from ep. 160.
> 
> And thank you to you, for reading!


End file.
